Chapter 403 - 399: I Request Recusal

Police Headquarters, Criminal Investigation Division.

A young, plain-clothed detective stormed into the office, a stack of files in his hand and fury written all over his face.

SLAM! He slammed the files down on a desk, causing everyone else in the office to look up.

The young detective could be heard cursing indignantly, "We’ve been investigating Wesley Yates for six months since the anti-gang crackdown started, and this is all we have?"

Hearing this, the others exchanged looks, their own faces a mixture of frustration and helplessness.

"That’s how clever he is. He rarely leaves a trail. What we have is the result of us working day and night on this investigation."

"Clever? I’d call it cunning. If he did something, there has to be a trace of it somewhere."

"But look at what we’ve found! The most serious charges are assault, coercion of a business transaction, and unlawful imprisonment. And the victim in the unlawful imprisonment case died from a terminal illness three years ago, so we don’t even have a direct witness!"

The young detective grew agitated, slamming his hand on the desk. "I refuse to believe Wesley Yates hasn’t gotten his hands dirty with at least one murder in all these years!"

The words had barely left his mouth when a large hand landed on his shoulder, making him jump.

He took a closer look, and his expression immediately deflated. "Captain Thorne."

The others also rose to their feet. "Captain Thorne."

Saul Thorne gave a slight nod, then looked at the young detective. "Shouting about it in here won’t do any good. We build cases based on evidence, and the court sentences based on evidence."

"But Captain Thorne, with the evidence we have against Wesley Yates right now, he’ll get a few years at most. Everyone in Lorcain knows who he is and what he’s capable of. I can’t believe he doesn’t have a murder charge to his name."

Saul Thorne’s reply was still calm and measured. "Evidence. Let the evidence do the talking."

If they couldn’t find proof that Wesley Yates had killed someone, they would never be able to convict him of premeditated murder.

"Captain Thorne, we’ve investigated almost everyone connected to Wesley Yates. His crew has been around for a long time, so some of the dirty work was probably done years ago. All the businesses in his name are clean now—he’s laundered everything thoroughly. Plus, the man is exceptionally sharp. He doesn’t have many assets registered to his name. Some are under his wife’s name, and the rest were dispersed and transferred a long time ago."

"Based on the crimes we can prove against Wesley Yates, the sentence won’t be severe enough to warrant the confiscation of all his assets."

These words plunged the Criminal Investigation Division office into a collective silence.

In other words, if they couldn’t find direct evidence of more serious crimes, Wesley Yates would be out in a few years and could easily make a comeback.

"You can’t burn out the weeds; they just grow back in the spring," Saul Thorne muttered.

Just then, there was a knock on the office door. "Captain Thorne, Captain Shepherd’s team went to investigate Aetherium, that new joint venture of Wesley Yates’s. They brought back someone with close ties to him. Do you want to handle the questioning personally?"

"There was someone we missed?" The young detective was surprised, his brow furrowing.

’But we dug into everyone connected to Wesley Yates! We were so thorough!’

Saul Thorne didn’t overthink it. He just nodded. "I’ll go."

In the interview room, Cecilia Sterling sat cooperatively in her chair. A female detective poured her a glass of warm water. "No need to be nervous. This is an interview room, not an interrogation room. Just answer truthfully to whatever we ask you in a bit."

The female detective, seeing how young Cecilia was, offered the kind reminder, afraid the situation might frighten her.

Cecilia didn’t look nervous at all. She simply smiled and nodded.

Soon, footsteps approached from outside the door. Captain Shepherd, who had been leaning against the doorframe, quickly straightened up. The door opened, and Saul Thorne walked in.

Their eyes met, and for a moment, Saul Thorne froze in the doorway, completely motionless.

He just stared at Cecilia, momentarily thinking he must be seeing things.

Cecilia looked up at him as well, her expression simple, almost blank, as if she had expected this exact scene to unfold.

"Captain Thorne?" A colleague standing nearby called out softly, noticing he was frozen in place.

Saul Thorne quickly composed himself and turned to Captain Shepherd. "I’m recusing myself!"

Captain Shepherd paused for only a second before nodding, completely unsurprised.

He had his answer, which was why he didn’t look shocked.

According to the Criminal Procedure Law, any judge, prosecutor, or investigator who has a familial, close personal, or other vested interest in a case’s party or witness must file for recusal.

This measure is in place to ensure the fairness of the investigation and trial!

Captain Shepherd hadn’t been certain that the Cecilia Sterling he brought in was Captain Thorne’s girlfriend, but Thorne’s reaction had just confirmed their relationship.

Saul Thorne gave Cecilia a deep look, but bound by his duty as a police officer, he left the interview room without saying another word.

Captain Shepherd looked at Cecilia, surprised to find her completely calm and showing no reaction. Captain Thorne’s response made it clear he hadn’t known anything, yet here she was, facing him in this situation, utterly composed and unflustered!

’To have such composure at her age... you have to be impressed.’

Still, out of professional habit, even though Cecilia sat there with a placid expression, Captain Shepherd began the interview by saying, "No need to be nervous. Just answer our questions, and you can leave when we’re done."

Cecilia nodded.

Captain Shepherd: "When did you meet Wesley Yates?"

Cecilia: "Last October."

Captain Shepherd: "So you’ve only known him for a little over half a year?"

Cecilia: "Yes."

Captain Shepherd: "You’ve known him just over half a year and you’re already joint partners in acquiring a business as big as Aetherium? It seems you two have a very good relationship."

Cecilia: "Yes."

Captain Shepherd: "Are you just business partners who work well together, or is there another kind of relationship privately?"

Cecilia: "He’s my brother."

Captain Shepherd: "Brother? What kind of brother?"

Cecilia: "An adoptive one, you could say. A sworn brother."

Captain Shepherd: "To your recollection, has he ever mentioned his past to you?"

Cecilia: "No."

Captain Shepherd: "Not even once? For instance, his struggles coming up in the world or in business, or any enemies he’s made? Nothing?"

Cecilia: "No. When we’re together, we mostly talk about our business partnership. I know nothing about his past."

Throughout the questioning, Captain Shepherd stared intently into Cecilia’s eyes, trying to catch any flicker of emotion as she thought and answered.

Because a person’s eyes can’t lie.

But it was no use. Cecilia’s gaze never wavered. Her eyes were clear and bright, and her answers came without a moment’s hesitation, showing no sign of deliberation.

The reason Cecilia was so calm in the face of this crisis was because her brother had once told her: "Anything I tell you is something you can say. Anything you’re not supposed to say, I’ll never tell you in the first place."

Because of this, Cecilia knew she didn’t need to lie, and that nothing she said could threaten or harm her brother.